Free Walking Tour

A Free Walking Tour group

Free Walking Tour – free of charge walking tour, where participants evaluate the tour guide using tips.[1] Tips can be a honorarium of the guide (example Moscow Free Tour [2]) or can be transmitted to the organization (example Free Guided Tours San-Francisco). The desire to get the maximum of tips is a big motivation for the guide that defines the quality of service Free Walking Tour.[3] Free Walking Tour typically has a preformed schedule regardless of weather and number of coming participants. Free Walking Tour takes about 2 hours.

Term

Free Walking Tour is a term used with minor variations, but only in English.[4]

History

The movement appeared in 2004 in Berlin [5]). By the end of the first decade of the 21st century enthusiasts extended the concept on all continents. Free walking tours are offered in 206 cities in 75 countries around the world [6]). The embodiment of the idea, in spite of the wide geographic distribution, exists in its original form without any significant variations. The logotype Free Walking Tour is often contains the theme of the legs or footprints.

Forms of organization and cooperation

Separate guides or groups mostly choose the legal form of a nonprofit organization or a limited liability company. Large organizations have guides in many cities around the world (for example Free Tours by Foot). Small organizations and independent guides often found an associations (for example United Europe Free Tours). The organizer of the Union assumes, as a rule, the management function (for example Free Walking Tours Switzerland for all Swiss organizations). Due to the geographical localization of each individual project mutual promotional links between the organizations are common. The main information promoting platforms of Free Walking Tours are TripAdvisor and Facebook. In large cities (such as Krakow, Reykjavik, St. Petersburg) organizations offer tours on the principles of Free Walking Tour, competing not only with the prepaid tours and independent guides, but also among themselves. In very large metropolitan areas (such as Berlin, London, Moscow) demand for the service Free Walking Tour is so big that the tour guides compete with each other even within the same organization.

Analogy

The concept of Free Walking Tour in the tourism branch is comparable with a freeware on the IT-market. Free software often has the advertising function of the commercial product or its manufacturer. Similarly, the organizers of the Free Walking Tour often offer a variety of business services such as a shuttle service, different entertainment, thematic, motorized and individual tours. Free Walking Tour guides can be compared with the street performers who entertain passers-by and offer for donations.

Criticism

Classic tour operators criticize the Free Walking Tour for dumping in the tourism branch.[7] Free Walking Tour organizations state that the main criteria for the guides are charisma] and fluency in the language. Free Walking Tour guides often do not have corresponding official education, which also causes disapproval from the historical and cultural community.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Molnar, Agnes (2014-04-25). "Strassenökonom – die Stadtführerin". Capital (in German). G+J Wirtschaftsmedien GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  2. ↑ Черкудинова, Дарья (2013-10-15). "Moscow Free Tour: Как заработать на бесплатных экскурсиях". The Village (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  3. ↑ "Free tours by locals in Europe cities (Updated)". 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  4. ↑ Brison, Lucy (2014-05-28). "Free Walking Tours in Rio de Janeiro". 10BEST USA TODAY. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  5. ↑ Wade, Roger (2011-12-07). "List of free walking tours around the world". PriceofTravel. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  6. ↑ "freetoursnetwork". Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  7. ↑ Baker, Vicky (2013-06-12). "The rise of the 'free' city tour". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  8. ↑ Steves, Rick (2009-12-04). "The Ethics of "Free" Tours". Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
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